Can You Juice Frozen Fruit?

It’s cheaper and more convenient than using fresh fruit, but can you juice frozen fruit and get the same health benefits? That’s a good question and one that requires a bit of thought.

Frozen fruit is cheaper than buying fresh fruit. It’s also easier to store than fresh fruit. And the convenience factor is also important. So, in order to answer whether or not you can juice frozen fruit, we need to look at all of the benefits, as well as the drawbacks.

Reasons Why You Would Want To Juice Frozen Fruit

• Juicing Frozen Fruit Can Be Cheaper Then Juicing Fresh Fruit

The simple fact is that fresh fruit is expensive. That is especially true if you are going to be buying organic fruit. Frozen fruit is often times cheaper. So, if you are on a budget, then juicing frozen fruit can definitely save you some money.

• Juicing Frozen Fruit Helps With Out Of Season Fruit

If you often have trouble getting good fruit out of season, then frozen fruit can be a great option. Frozen fruit is flash frozen and then cold stored. So, seasonally doesn’t really matter when it comes to frozen fruit. This way you will be able to enjoy berries and pineapple year round.

• Frozen Fruit Does Not Spoil

This is a big one for people who don’t happen to juice that often. Fresh fruit spoils. So if you buy a bunch of fruit, but don’t get around to juicing it for a while, then you might end up with spoiled fruit that is not good. That doesn’t happen with frozen fruit. If you get a large bag of frozen pineapple, you don’t have to worry about juicing it all before it spoils.

• Frozen Fruit Is Pre-Cut For Easier Juicing

It makes juicing much easier and faster. You don’t have to spend time washing the fruit, or cutting it. It’s all been prewashed and cut so that you only have to juice it. This is perfect for people who don’t have the time to wash and cut fruit for each juice they make.

• Frozen Fruit Is As Healthy As Fresh Fruit

There is a very common misconception that fresh fruit is better and has more nutrients than frozen fruit. As a rule, that’s not true. First, it is important to consider how fruit is frozen. The freezing process happens soon after the fruit is picked.

As soon as the fruit is frozen, the nutrient content “freezes” so to speak. Fresh fruit is certainly healthier, but the longer is sits around, the more nutrient value is loses. And unless you are eating fruit within 24 hours of it being picked, you are not really getting a huge nutritional difference.

There are many studies that have looked at the nutritional difference between frozen fruit and fresh fruit and what they have found is surprising. In many cases, the antioxidants are close to the same. In some instances, the antioxidants are higher (as is the case with blueberries). In some instances, beta-carotene was lower, but overall, frozen fruit is on par or better.

Reasons You Wouldn’t Want To Juice Frozen Fruit

• Frozen Fruit Isn’t Fresh Fruit

Frozen fruit, depending on how it was flash frozen, might not have the same flavor and taste as organic fresh fruit. So, some fruit has a bit of a frozen taste, if you’re not getting a really quality organic brand.

• You Can’t Clean Frozen Fruit

Unless you are only buying really good organic frozen fruit, then you’re putting yourself at risk for pesticides and other nasty stuff. Because frozen fruit doesn’t lend itself to being washed. Freezing fruit essentially destroys the cell walls, and so the juice will start to spill out when it warms up. So, if you wash it under water, you will be losing a lot of the benefits.

• Frozen Fruit Makes Your Juice Ice Cold

If you use regular fruit in your juice, then your juice won’t be ice cold. However, if you use nice fresh fruit, then you will have a juice that is at a temperate fit for drinking.

• Some Fruit Doesn’t Freeze Well

There are some fruits thate are perfect for using frozen. If you are looking to add berries to your juice, then buying a bag of organic frozen fruit is ideal. However, if you are looking to juice apples, or citrus, then you would be better served buying fresh. First, one of the main reasons you juice citrus, such as lemons, is to get the oil in the rind. Frozen fruit is skinned. So, even if you were to locate frozen lemons (which really isn’t that popular) you would not get the benefit of the lemon oil.

What Are The Best Frozen Fruits To Juice?

If you are going to be juicing frozen fruit, then it’s important to make sure you pick the right kind of fruit. Not all frozen fruit is superior to fresh fruit. However, some frozen fruit does make for better juicing. The following list of frozen fruit is my personal picks for juicing:

All Frozen Fruit Should Be Organic

• Blueberries
• Raspberries and Blackberries
• Tart Cherries (saves you a lot of time as most come pitted)
• Pomegranate seeds
• Mango and Pineapple Chunks